{"id":5097,"date":"2024-08-25T15:53:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-25T14:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/?p=5097"},"modified":"2024-09-10T13:36:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T12:36:10","slug":"commentary-on-the-21sth-sunday-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/commentary-on-the-21sth-sunday-b\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on the 21st Sunday (B) 25.08.2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
TEXT<\/em>: \u2013 John 06: 60\u201371\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reactions to the Bread of Life Discourse<\/strong><\/h5>\n

A Hard Saying<\/strong><\/p>\n

60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, \u201cThis is a hard saying; who can listen to it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus\u2019 Response<\/strong><\/p>\n

61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, \u201cDo you take offence at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you that do not believe.\u201d For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65 And he said, \u201cThis is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Disciples Withdraw<\/strong><\/p>\n

66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.<\/em><\/p>\n

Simon Peter\u2019s Faith<\/strong><\/p>\n

67 Jesus said to the twelve, \u201cDo you also wish to go away?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

68 Simon Peter answered him, <\/em>\u201cLord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Prophecy re Judas Iscariot<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Jesus answered them, \u201cDid I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?\u201d <\/em>71. He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was to betray him. <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0
    <\/em><\/p>\n

    EXPLANATION<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n

    60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, \u201cThis is a hard saying; who can listen to it?\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cMany of his disciples<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This chapter opened with Jesus going up into the hills and sitting down with his disciples (Jn. 6: 3). The \u201chills\u201d or \u201cmountains\u201d were regarded in the Bible as places of revelation and prayer. As already explained in the commentary on that verse, the posture of Jesus was that of a Jewish Rabbi instructing his followers. That introduction was meant to prepare readers for the divine revelations of Chapter 6 given to the disciples.<\/p>\n

    \u201cMany of his disciples when they heard it, said, \u2018This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 The \u201cdisciples<\/em>\u201d are not synonymous with the Twelve who are distinguished from the disciples in verses 67\u201371. Jesus\u2019 instruction was for the \u201cdisciples<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 6: 3). He performed three \u201cworks\u201d for them or in their presence. (i) They witnessed the multiplication of the loaves and fish. The \u201cdisciples \u2026 got into a boat and started across the sea<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 6: 16\u201317). (ii) When the sea got rough Jesus came to them walking on the water and (iii) he took the boat \u201cimmediately<\/em>\u201d to their destination. He revealed himself by God\u2019s name, \u201cI AM<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 6: 20; 35; 41; 48; 51). They had a first\u2013hand personal experience of God\u2019s works and word. Then they listened to Jesus\u2019 teaching in the next sections of the chapter. Verse 60 tells that they \u201cheard<\/em>\u201d his teaching but added that they found it \u201ca hard saying<\/em>\u201d so they were not prepared to \u201clisten<\/em>\u201d. They placed their own personal reaction as more important than the message of Jesus.<\/p>\n

    \u201ca hard saying<\/em>\u201d \u2014 An unacceptable saying. They understood the meaning but they found it difficult to accept.<\/p>\n

    \u201cwho can listen to it?<\/em>\u201d \u2014 In this context, the Greek word for \u201clisten<\/em>\u201d could be understood as \u2018accept\u2019: who can accept this hard, unacceptable saying?<\/p>\n

    It is also possible that the translation could be \u201cwho can listen to him<\/u><\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

    61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, \u201cDo you take offence at this?<\/em><\/strong> 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?<\/em> <\/strong>63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cBut Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is an indication that Jesus has divine powers of knowing \u201cin himself<\/em>\u201d what people think and say.<\/p>\n

    The translation could also be \u201cmurmured at him<\/u>.<\/em><\/p>\n

    Like the Jews (Jn. 6: 41\u201342), the disciples \u201cmurmur<\/em>\u201d, complain or object to Jesus\u2019 teaching.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u201c\u2018<\/em>[He] said to them,<\/em> \u2018Do you take offence at this?<\/em> Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 We may paraphrase Jesus\u2019 words: \u2018So you find my teaching unacceptable? Would you find it unacceptable if you saw me ascend to my Father? Would you believe me then, on that evidence?\u2019<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The little word \u201cit<\/em>\u201d occurs twice in this verse and refers to the complete teaching of Chapter 6, not just part of it. People are to believe that Jesus has come from heaven, that he is \u201cbread from heaven<\/em>\u201d that can nourish and give divine life to those who accept and commit themselves to him, that he can and will give his body and blood to eat and drink and so have them share in God\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

    What Jesus is asking for here is that the disciples accept his words precisely because they are his<\/em> words: \u201cTruly, truly, we speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have seen<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 3: 11). This is what supernatural faith means: \u201cinspired and assisted by the grace of God, we believe that the things which he has revealed are true; not because of the intrinsic truth of the things, viewed by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, and who can neither be deceived nor deceive\u201d (Vatican Council I, \u201cDei Filius<\/em>\u201d).<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe Son of Man<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This title, used exclusively by Jesus, describes him as divine and human, as dying on the cross to save mankind and ascending into heaven to his Father from whom he had descended to earth.<\/p>\n

    \u201cascending wherehe was before<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is a prophecy of the ascension of Jesus after his resurrection. To \u201cwhere he was before<\/em>\u201d is a claim that he is divine; heaven is his home. Jesus asks them if that would be sufficient for them to accept him and his teachings. He implies that as they have not accepted his works and words as signs that he has descended, it is unlikely that they will accept his ascension. They have to listen to the Spirit that Jesus received at his baptism (Jn. 1: 32) rather than judge his status by their purely human way of reasoning.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt is the spirit that gives life<\/em>\u201d \u2014 In the human person there are two constitutive elements: the body or flesh and the soul or spirit. It is the soul or spirit that gives life to the body or flesh. The words \u2018spirit\u2019 and \u2018breath\u2019 are the same. The spirit is a direct work of the Holy Spirit. The human spirit comes directly from God; it is the \u2018breath\u2019 of the Holy Spirit (Gn. 2: 7).<\/p>\n

    Speaking with Nicodemus, Jesus said, \u201cthat which is born of the Spirit is spirit<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 3: 6). Only when the Holy Spirit, \u201cthe Lord, the giver of life\u201d (Nicene Creed) intervenes can people receive the life of faith and understand.<\/p>\n

    \u201cthe flesh is of no avail<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Pure human knowledge cannot give \u2018spiritual\u2019 understanding. What Jesus has been teaching cannot be understood by human reason alone; it requires help from the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

    \u201cthe words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life\u201d<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 When Jesus speaks, people should listen to his words as coming from his Father (Jn. 6: 45). These words are life\u2013giving. (See commentary on Jn. 6: 44\u201351 where Jesus reveals the words and works of the Father through his ministry).<\/p>\n

    64 \u201cBut there are some of you that do not believe.\u201d For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65 And he said, \u201cThis is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201c\u2018But there are some of you that do not believe<\/em>\u2019. For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him<\/em>\u201d \u2014 As in verse 61 Jesus is presented as having divine knowledge. (See Jn. 2: 25).<\/p>\n

    \u201cfrom the first<\/em>\u201d \u2014 from the time of the calling of the first disciples (Jn. 16: 4).<\/p>\n

    \u201c\u2018This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 For the fifth time in this chapter Jesus reiterates that to \u201ccome to me<\/em>\u201d, meaning \u2018believe in him\u2019, is a gift from the Father which the person to whom it is offered may refuse to accept (Jn. 6: 29, 37, 44, 45).<\/p>\n

    Examples of many who \u201ccome<\/em>\u201d, that is who believe, as has been explained several times in this chapter, are Andrew and another, most likely John, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael (Jn. 1: 29\u201351), 2: 11 (disciples), 22 (disciples); 3: 29 (John the Baptist); 4: 42 (Samaritan villagers); 4: 50 (Official whose son was cured). Chapter 5 is replete with this teaching. Chapter 6: 68\u201369 contains Simon Peter\u2019s great act of faith on his own behalf and that of the Twelve.<\/p>\n

    66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cAfter this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The \u201ccrowd<\/em>\u201d that had been fed (vv. 41\u201342) and the \u201cJews<\/em>\u201d in Capernaum (v. 52) had taken exception to his teaching. Now \u201cmany<\/em>\u201d of those who were classed as \u201cdisciples<\/em>\u201d abandon him. This rejection of Jesus is a theme in John\u2019s Gospel: 1: 10, 11; 3: 19\u201321, 32; 12: 37\u201340.<\/p>\n

    67 Jesus said to the twelve, \u201cDo you also wish to go away?\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cJesus said to the twelve<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is the first time in John\u2019s Gospel that the \u201cTwelve<\/em>\u201d as such are mentioned. The title is used only in John 6: 70, 71 and 20: 24.<\/p>\n

    \u201c\u2018Do you also wish to go away?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Jesus reveals by his words, works and ministry that his Father \u201cdraws<\/em>\u201d people to believe in him. They are not forced to believe; they make a free and personal choice on the evidence presented by words and works. They may \u201cabide<\/em>\u201d in Christ or \u201cgo away<\/em>\u201d. The decision is personal and Jesus offers to the Twelve the opportunity to accept or reject him.<\/p>\n

    68 Simon Peter answered him, \u201cLord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cSimon Peter answered him<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Simon Peter shows that he is the spokesperson for the Twelve. He refers to \u201cwe<\/em>\u201d: \u201cto whom shall we <\/em>[the Twelve] go?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cLord<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Peter addresses Jesus as \u201cLord<\/em>\u201d, a title that refers to Jesus as divine. This is an act of faith by Peter.<\/p>\n

    \u201c\u2018to whom shall we go?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 A paraphrase would be: \u2018Lord, you know that there is no one else we can go to. We certainly will not leave you. We have two religious reasons for asserting this\u2019.<\/p>\n

    \u201cYou have the words of eternal life<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Peter\u2019s first reason for not deserting Jesus is that Jesus alone has the message of how the Twelve may obtain God\u2019s life. This is one of the central themes of John 6.<\/p>\n

    69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cwe have believed, and have come to know<\/em>\u201d \u2014 In the context the words \u201cbelieve<\/em>\u201d and \u201cknow<\/em>\u201d have the same meaning. \u201ccome to know<\/em>\u201d can be understood as \u2018are convinced\u2019. Faith can be stronger than human knowledge.<\/p>\n

    \u201cyou are the Holy One of God<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This title means \u2018the Holy One sent by God\u2019, the Incarnate Son of God (Jn. 1: 14). God is repeatedly described as \u201cthe Holy One<\/em>\u201d in the Old Testament. Peter continues his act of faith by acknowledging Jesus as God incarnate.<\/p>\n

    This is Peter\u2019s second reason for the Twelve remaining with Jesus. That Jesus has been sent by his Father is a central theme in John 6. Peter, on behalf of the Twelve, gives his assent to the teachings of Jesus in this chapter because of their divine origin.<\/p>\n

    70 Jesus answered them, \u201cDid I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cJesus answered them\u201d <\/em>\u2014 Note plural: \u201cthem<\/em>\u201d. Jesus addresses the Twelve, not just Peter.<\/p>\n

    \u201cDid I not choose you<\/em>\u201d \u2014 See Jn. 13: 18; 15: 16 where Jesus refers to having chosen the Twelve.<\/p>\n

    \u201cone of you is a devil<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Judas was not a \u201cdevil\u201d as such but betrayed Jesus under the influenced of the devil (Jn. 13: 2, \u201c\u201cthe devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon\u2019s son, to betray him\u201d;<\/em> 13: 27).<\/p>\n

    This is yet another example of Jesus\u2019 foreknowledge.<\/p>\n

    71 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was to betray him. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cHe spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot<\/em>\u201d \u2014 After Jesus\u2019 strong words about one of the Twelve, John intervenes and identifies the \u201cone<\/em>\u201d mentioned by Jesus.<\/p>\n

    Judas is also known as \u201cJudas Iscariot<\/em>\u201d (Jn. 12: 4; 13: 2), referring to Kerioth, a village in Judea from which father and son originated. Judas was the only member of the Twelve from Judea. The others were Galileans.<\/p>\n

    \u201cfor he, one of the twelve, was to betray him\u201d \u2014 <\/em>John repeats what Jesus had called Judas in the previous verse, \u201cone of the twelve<\/em>\u201d, to highlight the enormity of the crime, that one of the most intimate inner circle, who had spent perhaps at least two years with Jesus, should be one to betray him.<\/p>\n

    APPLICATION<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n

    This is the fifth and final successive week when we have been invited to reflect on the contents of Chapter 6 of John\u2019s Gospel. First, we look to see what this chapter has taught us about Jesus.<\/p>\n

    God is his Father who sent him into the world as his Incarnate Son to share his divine, eternal life with people who accept him. The Father helps them in their decision by letting them see his Son\u2019s ministry and works and hear his words whose source is God. He nourishes them first with their faith and secondly with the Body and Blood of his Son who offered his life in crucifixion as a sign of self\u2013giving sacrificial love.<\/p>\n

    Then we ask the question: where do I fit into this? What is my role? The answer given is that I am to believe in Jesus as the One sent from God his Father to offer me God\u2019s eternal life. For too long many people have presumed that this life is given only after death. This chapter makes it clear that it is a gift I can receive here and now and continue to have it for eternity. This means that I do not live with my own life but with Jesus\u2019 divine life. He \u201cabides<\/em>\u201d in me. I live by faith in Jesus who gave his life because of his love for me. How could I even consider not having this life or when I do have it, giving it up?<\/p>\n

    God\u2019s will is that I should accept his gift but it is entirely up to me to decide. God does not proselytize or force me. Faith and love, by their very nature, must be free commitments.<\/p>\n

    Next obvious question is: what must I do to believe? Faith is a gift from God who \u201cdraws<\/em>\u201d me. This he does when he shows me his \u201cworks<\/em>\u201d (signs and miracles) done by his Son incarnate, and he lets me listen to his words spoken through Jesus. Jesus\u2019 ministry, his whole life, especially his passion, death and resurrection, should \u201cdraw<\/em>\u201d me. Remembrance is so important for me. I ought to recall what God has done in history as recorded in the Bible. I should reflect on the real meaning of his words.<\/p>\n

    Four reactions to Jesus words and works are given in this chapter. First is that of the initial crowd<\/strong> who witnessed the multiplication of loaves and fish. Many who saw it were impressed. They wanted to declare Jesus to be their king. When that did not work out, many just went home. They did not stay with him. A few got into a boat and followed him to Capernaum. Jesus asked them to purify their intentions. As he saw it their reason for following him was to get what they wanted from him. They accepted his comment and asked that he show his credentials by working a miracle for them. Again, they showed that they did not accept him as sent from heaven by his Father.<\/p>\n

    While in Capernaum he spoke to the Jews<\/strong> in the synagogue. They could not accept his divine origin because of their human experience of his family whom they knew. Their minds were not open to his teaching. They had a very human way of thinking; they were not prepared to listen to his words.<\/p>\n

    Some disciples<\/strong> were listening to him and they were shocked and scandalized by what he said when he spoke about the Eucharist. They walked away.<\/p>\n

    Jesus turned to the Twelve<\/strong>. He did not tell them to leave him or to stay with him. He made it clear that they had a choice. They had sufficient grounds for a decision: his ministry, works and words. It would be their personal choice.<\/p>\n

    Peter, on behalf of the Twelve, made his declaration of faith in Jesus who is the only one that can offer a share in God\u2019s life because he is divine.<\/p>\n

    This chapter is more than mere history. It is a challenge to each of us to make a choice about whom we are going to accept. This has to be the basis of our judgement. We are being offered union with God in his divine life or a purely human life without him.<\/p>\n

    We must listen and be docile to Jesus or turn our backs on him like so many in this Gospel. God loves us and offers us his very life. To prove this he let his Son die on the cross. He made a covenant with us that he would be our God, that we would be his people. This chapter challenges us to renew this new covenant in his blood.<\/p>\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    TEXT: \u2013 John 06: 60\u201371\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reactions to the Bread of Life Discourse A Hard Saying 60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, \u201cThis is a hard saying; who can listen to it?\u201d Jesus\u2019 Response 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, \u201cDo you take<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2790,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5097"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8258,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5097\/revisions\/8258"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}